Tool for stitch-separating machines.



No. 688,4. Patented Dec. [0, l90l.'

J. B. HADAW TOOL FOR STITCH SEPARA MACHINES.

(Applicat ed A r ion H! p 12, 1901.)

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. HADAVVAY,'OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOL. FOR STITCHPSEPARATING. MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,411, dated December 10, 1901.

Application filed April 12, 1901. Serial No. 55,451. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concerw Be it known that 1, JOHN B. HADAWAY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Brock ton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Stitch- Separating Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improved tool for stitch-separating machines or stitch separating and indenting machines, as they are sometimes called. Such machines are now commonly used in the art to indent the material between the stitches appearing 011 the upper surface of the edge of the sole of a shoe to thereby bring the stitches into prominence and impart a finished appearance to the seam. To produce the best effect, the indentations between the stitches should be of uniform width and shape, and the ends of the stitches should be shaped to cause the crowns of the stitches to present a uniform appearance. The form of tool now ordinarily used is provided with an indenting-blade to enter and indent the spaces or intervals between the stitches, the lateral surfaces of the blade being arranged at an angle to each other and the edge of the blade being more or less rounded. While this form of tool produces indentations of uniform width and shape, it does not act to engage and shape the crowns or ends of the stitches. In order to shape the crowns of the stitches to cause the stitches of the seam to States patent,No. 653,236,dated July 10,1900.

The stitches of the seam at the edge of a shoesole vary more or less in length, and, as a It has also been proposed to consequence, while the tools disclosed in my prior patents above referred toimpart a substantially uniform shape to the crowns of the stitches, the indentations between the stitches produced by said tools vary in width, and in case the stitches vary considerably in length from the average the ends of the stitches are not shaped uniformly.

The object of my invention is to provide an indenting-tool which will produce indentations of a uniform width and shape and which will engage and shape the ends of the stitches at each side of the indentations, so that the crowns of the stitches will'present a uniform appearance.

To this end my invention consists in the indenting-tool hereinafter described and 2, the lateral surfaces 3 of which are arranged at an angle to each other and the edge 4 of which is somewhat rounded. Above the blade 2 the tool projects on each side,and each projection is provided with a groove 5, the surface of which meets the lateral surface 30f the blade at an angle. The indenting-blade is of a width as viewed in Fig. 1 corresponding to the width of the indentation to be produced between the stitches, and the groovesv -5 correspond in shape to the shape which is to be given to the ends of the stitches.

The manner in which the tool above described acts to indent the stitch intervals and shape the ends of the stitches will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3, which shows somewhat diagrammatically the appearance of the work both before and after the action of the tool thereon and also shows the tool in contact with the Work after having been depressed to indent a stitch interval and engage and shape the ends of the stitches on each side of the interval. It will be seen that the width of the indentations between the stitches 6, 7, 8, and 9 correspond to the width of the indenting-blade and that the ends of the stitches at each side of the indentations are shaped to correspond to the shape of the grooves 5. The angle between the lateral surfaces 3of the blade 2 is preferably a right angle or an acute angle, and the edge 4 is rounded sufliciently to prevent the cutting of the stitch thereby and to permit the tool and work to move relatively to each other to locate the indenting-blade in a stitch interval when irregularities occur in the length of the stitches. By arranging the lateral surfaces Sat an angle of ninety degrees or less the blade 2 can be readily located in the stitch intervals, and when forced into the intervals to indent the work has a secure engagement therewith and can be used to feed the work, if desired. The tool is preferably of a width equal to the length of the average stitch, so that substantially half of the stitch on each side of a stitch interval is acted upon and shaped by the tool.

It will be noted that at each actuation of the tool the interval between two stitches is indented by the indenting portion of the tool, and the adjacent ends of the stitches are simultaneously shaped by the shaping projections above and on each side of the indenting portion and that thereafter neither the shape of the indentation nor the shape of the ends of the stitches is altered by the separate subsequent action of any portion of the tool. thereon. Any distortion of the shape of the indentation or of the shape of the ends of the stitches is therefore avoided, and a finished seam is produced in which the indentations are of uniform width and shape and in which the crowns of the stitches present a uniform appearance.

I believe that I am the first to produce an indenting-tool by which the results above described are attained. I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of tool shown; but

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An indentingtool provided with a stitchseparating blade to enter and indent a stitch interval, and a surface on each side of the blade meeting the lateral surface of the blade at an angle to engage and shape the end of a stitch, substantially as described.

2. An indenting-tool provided with a stitchseparating blade to enter and indent'a stitch interval, and a groove on each side of the blade to engage and shape the end of a stitch, substantially as described.

3. An indenting-tool provided with astitchseparating blade to enter and indent a stitch interval, the lateral surfaces of said blade being arranged at an angle to each other and the edge of said blade being rounded, and a groove on each side of the blade, the surface of which meets the lateral surface of the blade at an angle to engage and shape the end of a stitch, substantially as described.

4. An indenting-tool provided with an indenting portion of a width equal to the indentations required between the stitches and with shaping projections above and on each side of said indenting portion, corresponding in shape to the shape which is to be given to the end portions of the stitches, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. I-IADAWAY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED H. HILDRETH, HORACE VAN EVEREN. 

